Disclaimer: I own everything! Not, well at least not the things related to the Teen Titans, however the name Rorex, and the characters Francesca, Maltheno, Sirus, Seth the alter boy, Father Maurice, Mother Terry, oh and a new character, though he's not that important, his name is Chase Santos.

A/N: The new character (as I've already stated up above) isn't that big in this plot, but he is a big mouth and spills everything and anything he knows – think snitch every time you see him brought up. He's Francesca's main snitch and them two just don't get along.

But yeah, this chapter is the start of pulling all the loose ends taunt towards the climax, maybe even the next chapter will be the same as this, and so on, but don't worry I've got everything worked out.

So keep on reviewing, you guys make me feel oh so special when you do, and thank you for the reviews so far. You're all so cool, and sweet.

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Chapter 13: Fives a Crowd, Time Stop

Morning had finally come.

Cyborg with a wide grin on his face, with a bouncing attitude strolled with a tray full of food for Raven in the infirmary, knowing that she was probably pouting about having to stay in the room for a long time. He decided to make her favorite breakfast meal, waffles.

Whistling and heading down the hall he got to her door and it slid open, "Alright Rae, you feelin' any better? Of not, how bout my famous –" he stopped and almost dropped the tray when he saw that her bed was rumbled and mused, messing from someone having already gotten up and walked out, "Raven?"

Setting the tray a side he walked to her closet and found that her clothes were missing, with a frown he shook his head, "Raven, I told you to stay," he scolded to no one in particular then an empty room. Sighing he left the tray of food on the side and hurriedly walked up the stairs to her room intent on lecturing her all about health. She came in really hurt, she shouldn't be up and about, he hadn't even run a full scale scan on her body to make she sure was really okay.

Nope, the moment he got to her he was marching her back down to the infirmary, she may have been a half-demon, but that didn't mean anything.

"Morning, friend Cyborg, how is your day so far?" Starfire floated up to him as he walked down the hall with a bright loving smile. Cyborg smiled back and paused for the moment to shrug.

"Okay I guess Star, all accept Raven;'s out of bed."

Starfire brightened up, "Friend Raven is up and about! Joyous be, where is she I wish to great her a good morning after her long stay in the ward of healing."

Looking around for her friends, Cyborg shook his head and chuckled slightly to himself. Starfire was really the light of everyone's life, "Well I'm guessing she's in her room, but she's not suppose to leave the infirmary until I say so. Any way, I'll call ya when I seez her."

"I would be delighted if you would my good friend, and I'm sure you will do the same when you see friend Robin I wish to greet him an earlier morning as well as everyone else." With a bright smile that was contagious Cyborg nodded and waved her off.

"No prob girl see ya."

"Good day to you Cyborg!" floating on down the hall Cyborg sighed and chuckled again, there was just something about that girl that shot a jolt of giggled through everyone. Cute and fun she was like one of those catchy jingles you could never get out of your head.

Cyborg turned back to the hall and continued towards Raven's room, mind locked on parent mode again he knocked on her door, "Raven … you in there?"

No response.

Cyborg knocked harder and louder, his leveled voice rose higher to make sure she heard him, "Raven, girl, open up it's me Cyborg, what are you doing up here I told you not to move from the infirmary."

Still no response, silence deafened, Cyborg gave the door a funny look.

"Raven? You in there?" he asked again this time pressing his ear up against the door to hear if there was movement … none. Pulling away Cyborg began to worry, "Raven if you're in there, I'm going to override your lock, so if you're there look out."

Moments latter her door slid open and Cyborg stood looking at an empty room, "Raven?" expecting her to suddenly pop out of no where, he walked in slowly, looking at his arm he scanned the readings of who was in the tower. Body heat from everyone was there, accept Raven's and as he looked even closer he saw that there was three more missing bodies.

Now was the time to assume the worse, running out of her room and into the main room he was about to announce their disappearance when Speedy shot up from the couch, "Cyborg, Francesca and Rorex are gone, their Mclaren is not in the garage and Robin's cycle is missing, Raven's gone to."

"Yeah I know," Cyborg nodded and looked around the room to notice the other Titans were there to all with looks of concern on their faces, especially Starfire.

"Check it Sparky," Bumble Bee strolled up casually and calmly to his side giving him a piece of paper he read it over and found it to be in Raven's handwriting, though what it was saying was … absurd, "What the hell is she talking about? And who the hell is Malthenor?"

In his gut he felt like he wasn't going to like the answer. In his heart he felt that he needed to know, and in his mind he prepped for a major mind blowing explanation. Looking up to stare directly at Speedy Cyborg put the note down and pointedly said, "Alright Speedy, this Rorex character … who is he really and no keeping secrets."

Busted! That was the only thing running through his mind and he felt like this was it. End of the line. Bowing his head he sighed deeply, "Well … make yourselves comfortable … cause this is going to be one helluva long story."

"Just as long as the truth is told, we don't care," Starfire firmly said as she floated to the couch and sat next to him intent on hearing every word he said.

--

"Just pull up in that garage, we're walking the rest of the way."

"That garage?"

"Yes That garage, what's the matter with it?"

Raven gave Rorex a deadpanned expression, the sun was already a quarter of the way up and they were in the heart of the city, or the "bad-place-to-be" and what he told her was the neutral zone. Where every creature did their thing and stayed out of trouble. However, that didn't help settle the fact that Rorex was asking – no telling – her to pull into some run down looking, untrustworthy mechanic shop that he says it is trustworthy.

The place was called Pop's Shop and was once owned by an old man Rorex was real close to … in fact that guy took care of him and Francesca when he found them off the streets a long time ago. Although with a very unfortunate turn of events the man – human – was killed in a gang war cross fire, now it was owned by another, his real son to be exact and though Rorex found him to be sketchy. He was an alright guy and around his age, he also knew a thing or two that'll maybe tune up Raven's Mclaren … that is if he could get her in.

Still giving him the look, Rorex sighed and kept the boiling growl from rising beyond his throat, "Raven, it's not as bad as it looks alright. I've worked there myself when I was a kid, it's totally legit."

She scoffed, "Oh you worked there? I never knew you even knew the meaning of the word "work" in a legal sense. All the more reason for me not to listen to you."

"Park the damn car in there already before people start coming in." Rorex growled at her, and Raven glared not one to ever be ordered around, not even by Robin. So what made Rorex different now that she was pulling into said garage? Because he knew the place better then her and though she was dieing inside for even taking his word she found that she had to choice. Her engine roared and it echoed off the walls of the closed off, oily messy, filthy garage where her Mclaren looked so out of place.

Out of the door off to the right side somebody popped there head out of it and glared at the person that pulled up. After all, it's in the sight of first dawn, what crack addict would pull up at the sight of first dawn this time? Not that he couldn't handle anything, ever since his father died in that gang war his mother sent him to every martial arts and weaponry class there was. Black-belted, and acing all of them, she still worried for him as he worked in the shop.

Since the hot humidity of the summer night last night had kept him from getting a good moment's rest he was walking around without a shirt, and when he heard the roar of a Mercedes-Benz SLR Mclaren pull up. Two things were strolling in his mind at the moment: one was some idiot dope-fiend decided to play funny and park the car in his garage, which was the reason for the rather large monkey wrench he held in his hand.

And two was stepping out of said car right now when it was turned off. His light brown eyes widen in shock as he pulled back and gave the passenger a good one over. Unruly, messy, and unkempt pitch black hair and oh so familiar amber gold eyes with a laid back pose and the air that swirled with enigma and patients. Chase Santos was stunned, "Oh fuck, Rex? That you?"

Rorex, heard the familiar slight Hispanic accent of his long time childhood friend Chase and grinned, "Nice to see you to Santos, good to see you're keepin' up this little dinky shop."

Raven watched the exchange of friendly greetings and "handshakes" she realized why Rorex said it was trustworthy; he knew the handsome human male. Chase? Was it? Well, she could care less whatever the hell his name was, just as long as her car wasn't in any way, shape, or deformed when she got back. Otherwise he'd be experiencing what it really would be like when they say "hell on earth".

"Shit man, thought you were dead after that little heist you pulled back in the day, ya know?" Rorex paled and glanced at Raven who raised a brow; looking back at Chase he shook his head.

"Uh – yeah … whatever, listen Chase I need a favor."

At this Chase frowned and glared, "Rex, the last favor you asked me nearly got me arrested! Did you know that Ford GT you took was hot?"

Rorex gave a sheepish shrug, "Sorry about that, but I made it up didn't I? I paid your fine."

Chase's glare darkened, "Yeah, with stolen money."

Raven tried not the laugh at Rorex misfortunes; for once the thief was experiencing what it was like to have his foot stuffed his throat. Honestly, who the hell's dumb enough to pay for something in stolen money without going through the process of having it cleaned? She shook her head, thanking Chase for his little piece of history. Now she knew who she could really trust in this room … and it was getting bleaker for Rorex.

"Come on man, that was that one time. Lighten up, this is serious I really need this favor." Rorex pleaded, and Chase snorted.

"Man you must be on some kind of new allergy medicine or something, cause I ain't gonna' house another stolen car because of your dumbass!" Chase looked to Raven, "Did he drag you into this? Listen girl; let me be the first to warn you that he's bad news, last girlfriend he had learned that the hard way when he got busted for hustling the wrong crowd."

Rorex ran a hand through his hair and gulped feeling Raven raise a brow and give a look, "Girlfriend? He had a girlfriend?"

Chase snorted, "Let's just say you're not the first suga, one time he dated five girls at once got it good with all of them, none of them knew about the other chicks he was with and he got away with it! Slimmy bastard."

Rorex glared, "Chase, I don't think that's important right now."

"Five girls hmm," Raven prodded, leaning away from her car and crossing her arms over her chest giving Rorex the coldest look on Earth, it was even making Chase freeze up, "that's very interesting … is that true?"

Before Rorex could even come up with an answer, Chase answered for him, suddenly giving Rorex the feeling that maybe Raven was right. Coming here was a very bad idea, "Is it true? Damn girl of course it's true, if you've met his sister and asked her she'll be real wit'it, that girl is as blunt as a damn hammer."

"Can we stay on the subject at hand here!" Rorex shouted trying to defend what little of his past life before Chase went and spilled the whole damn thing. Glaring at the human warningly he growled, "Can I leave the car here or not Chase?"

Chase gave him a look, then to Raven and asked, "This for real?"

Raven nodded, "I should know, it's my Silver Raven, not stolen it's clean. All I'm asking is to keep it safe for me while I go with X to get some things straight."

"Whatever ma, just as long as the thing don't get me tagged I'm cool." Chase shrugged and smiled sweetly at her, "Seriously though Rex really did get away with it."

Raven shrugged, "Not my problem who or whatever he finds likable to his needs, what matters now is that we get this job done or it's history. Thank you by the way, for everything," Raven grinned finding Rorex growling and sudden flaring aura of unsettlement amusing.

Chase nodded, "My pleasure, and Rex, make sure you don't do anything that'll fuck you up one of these days."

"Oh don't worry," Raven spoke up for him, "I think he's done enough of that for a lifetime. Only time will tell right?"

"Straight up ma, catch ya some other time boo." With that Raven threw him her keys then bowed her head in acknowledgement and walked out of the garage, leaving Rorex to growl heatedly at Chase who snorted, "What? She has a right to know."

"Yeah, but not by some stranger she hardly even knows!"

"Don't get your panties all in a knot grandma, that was the past and if she's smart she'll let it go … if not, then you're on your own."

Rorex sneered and turned his back on the human, "Thanks a bunch," sarcasm dripping.

Chase gave the same sour look and snorted, "Your welcome."

Still the same, Chase chuckled and tossed Raven's keys in the air catching it and jingling it for a bit with a smile on his face his looked at the car and had a wicked grin growing, sweet ride … I knew Rex was good, but damn she got's to be what? Some fired up cracker, Rex better be careful or his wakin' up to a knife in his chest, heartbreaker! Shaking his head and laughing to himself, he turned and walked back into the shop, getting the shock of his life when two more pairs of amber eyes stared at him. Short and with a wicked grin all her own Chase knew who she was before she even spoke, "Hi!"

"Francesca?" looking back to the exit then at the little girl then to the car blinked, "what are you doing here? Why aren't you with Rex?"

The little maniacal girl giggled and her eyes narrowed, some how, Chase had a gut wrenching feeling she was up to her old tricks, "This is a car shop right? And you know cars as if they were the back of your hand right? And I'm your oh so favorite little girl right? And you'll do anything I say because you know I got dirt on you, right?"

Chase glared and gritted his teeth, he never liked Francesca, Rorex may have thought she was a sweet little saint, but behind his back she was sick and twisted little devil. "You got shit on me."

Francesca laughed and titled her head, her smile growing all the more wider as she held up a manila folder Chase recognized to have been his most secret files holding all his records. Her irritating high-pitched voice spilling with great knowledge and childish teasing, "Before you go thinking you're the most cleanest person in this hood, let me remind you that you've worked with my brother to steal that Red X suite from Titan Tower. We both know he's good with his tech and we both know that you're better, and we all know your little "cooperation" with the Raging Bull Mafia down at the coast, smuggling a few items aren't you? My, my, my Chasie-baby you really are leavin' ya mark."

"So what are you blackmailing me this time for you sick little girl," there was just no describing her, she had the face of an angel, the voice of a child, yet the mind of the perfect mastermind. Hell, he'd go so far as to say she helped out with her brother's heists ever once in a while. Francesca sweet little girl, that'll leave a sour taste in your mouth once you rub on her the wrong way.

She shrugged, "Nothin' big, just information, remember the Malcoraz family I told that kept buggin' my bro back when and we promised that you'd always keep an eye out for them?"

Chase thought back and nodded, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, it's time for you to cash in on that little deal … what cha got me?"

"The Malcoraz family," rolling the name around in his head, Chase huffed and made a clicking noise in his mouth, Francesca saw his face scrunch up to give her a sour look, "you people and your bloodline, how the hell'd you two end up down here in the ghetto anyway?"

Francesca smiled sweetly, "That's only for Rorex to tell, and you know how he operates."

"Conniving bastard," Chase mutter and sighed stuff Raven's keys in his pocket for safe keeping he snapped his jaw shut and walked passed the little devil and headed to the back room, "follow me, and please Francesca this time around don't touch anything."

Already eyeing the torch, Francesca grinned with a million ideas running through her mind, just like her brother was a kleptomaniac; Francesca wouldn't exactly call herself a pyromaniac. However fire and the heat and everything associated with the words "flammable" and "biohazard" set her off and made her hands twitch. Shaking her head she gave Chase a cute smile, "Don't worry, you have my word."

Cunning, conniving, sick, twisted, mastermind, evil little devil. Words to describe the sister of Rorex. Francesca NoLincous.

--

"Sirus," the distant angel blinked from staring at the rising sun beyond the horizon chasing away the darkness and drenching the waking morning in light. His dark brown once neatly kept hair was rustled and tussled from the whipping winds of the night staying up and praying to a god he had once abandoned that he knew what he was doing. Sirus looked back to the little alter boy, Seth was what he once heard his father call him. Kind, gentle, good little boy, Sirus wondered what he was still doing in the church at this kind of time let along doing up.

With big, round, catching light brown eyes Seth walked up to him and sat next to him still n his alter boy uniform, "Your father told me to check on you … is your back healed?"

Stretching back and testing for any pains Sirus felt a yawn coming on and before he knew it his mouth was split in two as the yawn ripped thorough his throat. Watering his eyes he sniffed and shook his head to wake up, "Looks like I'm doing fine." He answered monotonously.

Seth nodded, "Okay, that's good … Mother Terry also told me to tell you that she's making breakfast and that Sunday Mass is almost on … she's suggesting that you attend."

So that's why you're here early, Sirus thought to himself, answering is earlier question. Sirus sighed and shook his head, "Tell her I'll pass … for both … I don't feel up to hearing my father preach a dry religion. I hear it enough every time I see him."

Seth stood up and dusted his black and white uniform, in a ceremonial bow he turned to leave, but stopped as if a second thought hit him. Digging his hand into his pocket he pulled out a note and fiddled with it. Turning back to the angel who still gazed out with a sad look on his once again distant face. Seth sighed and bowed his head, his shoulders sagging as he spoke in a quiet voice, "Sirus … my family for generations has been serving under yours and we've all seen and agree on one thing … your family will be it's own down fall.

"I'm sorry if this may offend, but I must speak my mind … I'm a human child yes, but I've seen enough to last me a lifetime and I just want to help … I know you don't like this fighting anymore than your father … and I know you don't want to hurt your brother … but he won't stop."

Sirus heard every word the human boy said, and thought of it for a moment. They were quite compelling, yet the boy didn't know what he was talking about, "Leave Seth, your presents isn't needed and your message has been cared out."

Cold, harsh, and Seth knew Sirus hadn't listened to him, maybe heard, but not listen. The human boy sighed and gave Sirus the note in his hand, "May the heavens watch over you."

"What heaven is there, when all there is, is hellfire awaiting me in the next life …" Sirus took the note and Seth dropped his hand to his side trudging sadly to the entrance back into the massive church that made the Pope's church in Vatican City look like a play house, this one was more like a massive mansion of sorts. Maybe because in it's later days it was best known for Malchior's home palace and personal prison.

Seth had once scrounged about in the historical archives about the place and was greatly impressed by all the changes it went through and the times it saw. Yet it was still standing, still standing and looking as if it was built only a few years ago when the place was over a 1000+ so years old. Glancing back to Sirus he saw the angel suddenly shoot up from the ground and jump off the edge. A wash of panic went over the human, what on earth happened? Running to the edge he stopped when he remembered that Sirus was an angel, he had wings to fly.

Now feeling stupid, Seth walked to the edge and looked over to see that in a form of some kind of magic without his wings he had hovered down like time had slowed down and allowed for him to touch the ground unscathed and walk into the church. Seth sighed again and headed back to the entrance, Wonder what was in the note?

He shrugged and figured he'd find out later.

Sirus entered the church and ignored the alter, the benches, and many other things that took over the palace main entrance. Converted to a place of worship Sirus saw his father setting up the alter and he walked down the aisle. Ever step he took echoing in the vastness of the room where even the large arches on the sides didn't even help to eliminate the loud approach. He didn't even have to talk every loud for the church to pick up and amplify his voice ten times the normal volume. "Father, Malthenor has obtained the Nol Verses."

Faltering in mid-step the elder angel stopped and looked at is youngest son, "What?"

Sirus held up the note, "The Unforgivable have the book, Malthenor had just sent me the message."

Maurice looked away to the ground and scowled ever so slightly, "Then we'll just have to retrieve it from him at all coasts. Yet word has reached me that he is injured, we may be able to have a winning shot at stopping him … for good."

"But he has the book." Sirus growled, "He could very well use it's power to heal himself and be done with it! Damn that accursed devil! He hadn't listened!"

"You cannot expect a thief to stop and listen when he is always looking around for either an escape or something else to steal," Maurice shook his head, "how about the other one, is he still with them?"

Sirus shrugged, "I have no idea … I just hope he is, otherwise … checkmate."

Maurice looked at his son and smiled a very small smile, but his eyes gave away his thoughts, "You loose hope to quickly my child, this cross breed … he is more capable of ending it all then you give him credit."

"Ending it all?" Sirus mocked his father words, "In which way do you speak? There is different ways to end this and one of them I don't really bother to entertain the very thought of."

"Let time handle it Sirus."

"Time? You say that like it's on our side."

"Time is on no one's side, time has its own side, and it's the one calling all the shots."

Sirus snorted, "The day when time stops …"

"…is the day when the world ends."